1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard device used in a keyboard instrument, such as an electronic piano. In particular, the present invention relates to a keyboard device that applies an action load in response to the depression of a key.
2. Description of the Related Art
As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2004-226687, a keyboard instrument is conventionally known that is configured to achieve a key-press feel similar to that of an acoustic piano. In this keyboard instrument, keys are provided on a keyboard chassis in a manner to be rotatable in a vertical direction, and hammer members are provided in the keyboard chassis in a manner to be rotatable in the vertical direction. When a key is depressed, the hammer member rotates to be displaced in response to this key depression operation, thereby applying an action load to the key.
In a keyboard instrument such as that described above, a hammer holding section is provided in a key to ensure that pressing force applied when the key is depressed is transmitted to a hammer member. This hammer holding section slidably holds the tip end portion of the hammer member, and connects the key and the hammer member. As a result, when the key is depressed, the pressing force on the key is quickly transmitted to the hammer member.
However, in a conventional keyboard instrument such as this, because the tip end portion of a hammer member is slidably held by a hammer holding section provided in a key, pressing force on the key is quickly transmitted to the hammer member upon the depression of the key, and in response thereto, reaction force that is an action load is quickly transmitted to the key by the hammer member. Accordingly, a key-press feel similar to that of an acoustic piano, where the timing at which an action load applied to a key upon the depression thereof reaches its maximum is temporally delayed, cannot be achieved. Therefore, there is a problem in that the key-press feel differs from that of an acoustic piano.